Clients and staff at Safe Haven gave a very warm welcome to music therapy specialists, Music for Health, on Wednesday afternoon, who performed their musical therapy for people with dementia.
Some of our staff have had the pleasure of working with David Newlands before, so have been waiting for this day for quite some time as they were very keen to share the experience with our clients.
The mix of powerful and familiar pieces of music encouraged a lot of audience participation, while providing a really stimulating environment. This involved using typical percussion instruments, such as tambourines, and the use of more simple props, such as banging paper plates together to the sound of an Irish jig.
The hour-long session was very much reminiscence-based, and the audience had great fun listening to familiar tunes and remembering the names and faces of famous iconic musical entertainers from days gone by.
David naturally allowed the audience to take the lead, and some people were up on their feet singing and dancing or swaying in their chairs, while shaking their sparkly cheerleader-style batons in the air above them, which was a lovely sight to see. Some time was also set aside for a bit of a sing-a-long.
As the session draw to an end, David calmed things right down and the atmosphere became much more serene and relaxed, similar to stretching out after a keep fit workout. A selection of classical and relaxation-inspired pieces of music was enjoyed by all, culminating in a well-deserved afternoon tea being served.
It’s safe to say that we look forward to welcoming David back every month to the centre for more fun musical health afternoon sessions.
For more information about the therapies available at Safe Haven, please call 01494 854 399 or email us at: enquiries@safehavendementiacentre.co.uk
